Italian Fashion

In writing about Italy we cannot forget to consider one of the sectors where Italy has gained top international renown: fashion. Italian fashion is synonymous with quality, style and elegance and can boast a long, prestigious tradition.

The birth of Italian fashion can be traced back to February 12, 1951 when the Marquis Gian Battista Giorgini organized the first Italian Haute Couture fashion show in Florence. On the occasion of the event only ten high fashion shops of the time participated, among them were the Fontana sisters for high fashion and Emilio Pucci for boutique fashion. Only a small amount of people were invited to attend the fashion show, including some of the most important foreign buyers and journalists specialized in the fashion sector, but the event was still a true success.
Since that day, Italian fashion has faced the international market and succeeded in conquering it, its ideas and designs always attracting large interest.

Sites

Giorgio Armani - www.giorgioarmani.com -
Official site for the Italian fashion designer presents the latest collections for the various lines: Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani, Armani Collections, Armani Jeans, Armani Junior and Armani Casa. The site, all in flash, has images of clothing and accessories, as well as from the latest fashion shows.

Valentino - www.valentino.it -
Official site for the Italian stylist Valentino. Presents the latest clothing collections as well as accessories. The site also presents the fashion house with addresses of shops. Some areas are only available in Italian. The English section offers shopping online for the US and Canada.

Versace - www.versace.com -
Official site for the well-known fashion designer Versace. The site presents men's and women's collections with videos of latest fashion shows. There are also images of other products and accessories with the Versace brand: watches, jewelry, eye wear and household items.

Dolce e Gabbana - www.dolcegabbana.it -
Official site for Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana's fashion label presents the latest collections, with numerous photographs and videos of fashion shows and news and information on events and the D&G world.

Pitti Immagine - www.pittimmagine.com -
The official site for the company presents the various fashion events organized annually in both Florence and Milan. The site contains the event calendar for Pitti Immagine, with information on participating exhibitors and special events. There is also information on the company and on the locations used for exhibits, fairs and trade events.

Polimoda New Talent - www.polimodanewtalent.com -
Portal maintained by the Polimoda fashion school dedicated to showcasing emerging young designers in the fashion sector. The site presents ideas and projects by talented students, offering them a space in which they can express and present their designs.

Polimoda TV - www.polimoda.tv -
This website by Polimoda, the fashion school in Florence, presents the fashion events and initiatives connected to the school. The site also has videos of fashion shows organized by the school.

Learn more about Italian Fashion

The Birth of Italian Fashion

The first Italian fashion show was organized by the Marquis Gian Battista Giorgini in his home in Florence. It was February 12, 1951 and that day is recognized as the official start of "Italian fashion".
Since that moment, the prestige of Italian fashion grew quickly thanks in large part to the creativity of Italian stylists and fortunate initiatives tied to fashion, such as the foundation of the Italian Fashion Center in Florence.

Italian Fashion in the 60's and 70's: fashion "Made in Italy"

In the 1960's came the introduction of prÍt-à-porter, or ready-to-wear clothing, at slightly more accessible prices than Italian high fashion and custom-tailored dresses afforded. The fast growth of Italian fashion made it possible for various Italian high fashion shops to enter into the international market with their own creations, coming into direct competiton with Parisian fashion that up until then had dominated the sector.
In the 1970's, the collaboration between stylists and industry led to the birth of "Made in Italy" fashion and the major Italian fashion designers began to propogate their brands across all foreign markets, linking them to both clothing lines as well as to accessories and perfumes.

Italian Fashion Recognized Worldwide

The prestige of Italian fashion and its achievement at a global level have been due in large part to the talent and ability of Italian designers. Valentino, Armani and Versace, to name just a few of the most famous names, continue to create and present unique and successful collections on the world's fashion runways that keep attention high on Italian fashion.

The Main Events for Italian Fashion

Rome, Milan and Florence are the Italian cities most closely tied to the world of Italian fashion. These cities host several times each year various important fashion events that bring international attention to the latest Italian creations.
Milan and Florence both host Pitti Immagine events, the main exhibitions dedicated to fashion in Italy. The Milan fashion shows are probably the most highly anticipated by Italian fashion lovers and "fashion victims" waiting to know the latest fashion trends for the following seasons.
During these events and exhibitions, Italian fashion always manages to distinguish itself from other designs, renewing from year to year its own prestige and that of the products "made in Italy".

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